How Much Does It Cost To Get Gel Nails

Shellac manicures have been a revolution in the nail polish market – finally, we have a varnish that stays on our nails no matter what! But this can prove a little tricky when you actually want to remove shellac at home.

Picking gel polish off is a big no-no, as it will leave your nails underneath weak and vulnerable to damage and liable to break.

So, we spoke to expert nail technician at blow LTD., Lucy Mackenzie to find out how to remove shellac polish at home.

How to remove shellac

FotoDuets Getty Images

How to remove shellac - Step 1

Firstly, you need your kit. "Get five cotton pads and split them in half, 10 large tinfoil squares, acetone polish remover and a nail file," says Lucy.

Boots

Cotton Wool Pads - 200 pack

Boots

Strengthening Nail Polish Remover 200ml

Amazon

Bacofoil The Non-Stick Kitchen Foil, 30cmx5m

Amazon amazon.co.uk

£3.98

How to remove shellac - Step 2

"Next, using your nail file, gently buff over the tops of your gel polish, then soak a piece of cotton wool in acetone and place onto the nail," she add.

Secure this on the nail by wrapping the foil square around it.

How to remove shellac - Step 3

"Leave to soak for 15 minutes. By then your gel polish will have lifted from the nail bed," Lucy says.

She adds: "My top tip is to keep your nails warm during the soaking process by wrapping your hands in a towel – this will speed up the process."

Image Source Getty Images

How to remove shellac - Step 4

When removing the polish from your nails, you can very gently lift the polish off with manicure sticks– but make sure you are not scraping the nail. If it doesn't lift off easily, you need to soak for longer, Lucy warns.

Lookfantastic

Tweezerman Dual Sided Pushy Cuticle Stick

Lookfantastic lookfantastic.com

£12.80

How to remove shellac - Step 5

After removal, Lucy says: "You should buff the nail and apply cuticle oil for hydration."

Feelunique

Nails.INC Superfood Repair Oil 14ml

Feelunique feelunique.com

£15.00

Lookfantastic

brushworks 6 Way Shape and Shine Nail Buffer

Lookfantastic lookfantastic.com

£2.09

Now you've got an expert's top tips on how to remove shellac and gel nails at home without damage, you can thank us later..

After you've removed your shellac nail polish, it's always a good idea to pop on a coat of your favourite nail growth product or nail repair polish to keep your nails healthy.

Our GHI experts put lots of nail products to the test to bring us the best products for nail polish removal, nail growth, nail strengthening. Here are the products that came out top of their tests:

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover

The winner of the GHI's nail polish remover test was the bestselling Cutex remover. It's designed with weak nails in mind, enriched with lots of nail strengthening ingredients. Our testers loved how healthy their nails felt after using this product.

essie Nail Care Strong Start Nail Polish Base Coat

This was a joint-winner in the best nail strengthener test, loved for the texture. Our testers found it left their nails harder and healthier, smoothing out any ridges without chipping.

Nail HQ Strengthener

The other winner earned a place in the top spot as our testers found a noticeable difference in their nails in just a couple of days. It's packed with proteins and AHAs to help nails become stronger.

Duri Rejuvacote Heal and Cures Split Cracked Nails 14 ml

The best nail growth treatment is particularly good for those who have gel or acrylic nails. Our testers found it improved strength of the nails, and prevented chipping and flaking.

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